Final Draft
The Big Idea
Parting reflections and a fond farewell from
TA’s most recent long-term editor
by Stephen Sharpe, Hon. AIA

Stephen Sharpe, Hon.
AIA, has left the editorship of Texas Architect
after an extended period of
service that began in June,
2000.

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s
blood.” – Daniel Burnham (1846-1912)

A

fter almost 12 years at the helm
of Texas Architect, I see even more
clearly the truth in Burnham’s oftquoted assertion. Having worked
so long with architects on articles
about topics important to them, I understand
the power of the big idea. That’s what drives the
project, the impetus that transforms the concept
into physical reality. Big ideas, I’ve learned,
are essential to the architect. So for more than
a decade I’ve seen my job as helping architects
explain those big ideas, to make them accessible
to a broad audience of design-savvy readers.
My big idea for Texas Architect throughout my
tenure has been to create a forum for an open
dialogue among design professionals. To accomplish that, I’ve reached out to architects and
like-minded individuals around the state to take
assignments rather than relying on the magazine’s limited editorial staff or hiring journalists to produce the articles. For each project or
news story or essay, I’ve taken care in choosing
writers based on their experience with a specific
building type or knowledge of a certain topic.
(Not infrequently, would-be writers proposed to
submit an article about something that especially
interested them. However, that submission often
never materialized; but if they followed through,
their article usually made it into print.) Part of
the fun was finding the right place for all those
separate pieces. The ideal edition of Texas Architect, in my opinion, provided a multi-dimensional
portrait of the architecture profession as practiced in the state at that time.
Bringing together those various voices into
harmony required a little editorial finesse, but
the outcome typically yielded a successful issue.
Of course, that success also depended on highquality photography, the expertise of TA’s art
director — three cheers for Julie Pizzo! — and
all the daily staff support that makes a magazine possible. More often than not, the big idea
worked out.

Looking back, I can’t help but feel immense
pride in the success Texas Architect has achieved
during my stint as its editor. Texas Architect has
long been regarded as one of the best publications of its type. Ultimately, it’s the members
of the Texas Society of Architects – you, dear
reader – who deserve the accolades for supporting Texas Architect through their dues, which helps
keep TA financially sound (with an assist from

That’s what drives the project,
the impetus that transforms the
concept into physical reality. Big
ideas, I’ve learned, are essential
to the architect.
its advertisers and non-member subscribers) and
editorially independent to articulate those big
ideas to as large an audience as possible.
for the last time, I’d like to
express my deep appreciation to the many volunteers who have helped make Texas Architect much
more than just an association magazine. Those
include the members of the Publications Committee, TA’s contributing editors, and others who
have written articles for nothing more in return
than a byline. I’ve enjoyed having such a fount
of knowledge and experience to draw from as I
planned my 71 issues.
I also wish to thank Larry Paul Fuller, who
was invited to serve as guest editor of this edition
and to bridge the gap during the search for Texas
Architect’s next editor. As the former editor of
TA (1973 to 1985), Larry fully understands the
magazine, its readership, and the magic necessary to convey the big idea.
Before I sign off

brings that work to an end.
I’ve been lucky to have this extended opportunity to serve as the editor of Texas Architect, easily
the most demanding of my career but at the
same time the most gratifying. Now it’s time for
someone else to grapple with the challenges that
come with the position and to enjoy the many
rewards of a job well done.